


Wixen who Menstruate

by NoctuaLusa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adult Hermione Granger, Gen, House Elves, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, Menstruation, Mentioned Harry Potter, Mentioned Ron Weasley, Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Ministry of Magic Employee Hermione Granger, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Not All Menstruators Are Women, POV Hermione Granger, Trans Blaise Zabini, discussion of menstruation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25248877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoctuaLusa/pseuds/NoctuaLusa
Summary: Oneshot in which Hermione Granger campaigns for period products in the ministry - but fails to realize that not only witches menstruate.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	Wixen who Menstruate

“Is there anything else, one of you wants to add to the agenda?” Kingsley Shacklebolt looked around expectantly.

It was the quarterly meeting of all the departments of the Ministry of Magic and Hermione Granger did indeed want to add another item to the agenda. She had done her research, added up all the numbers and was ready to attack.

She jutted her chin forward, took a deep breath and raised her hand. Her fingers were trembling, as they had done so often back in her early years in Hogwarts. She wasn’t a twelve year old school girl anymore though – she was 23, working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and proud to tell anyone that her superiors were very content with her work so far, thank you very much. They had even given her the opportunity to present the department’s results in one of the quarterly meetings before. But this was different. This was a personal request (and it had nothing to do with house elves).

When she began to speak, her voice was a bit squeaky, but she recovered fast. “I wish to ask you to equip all the toilet cubicles of witches’ toilets with free period products, Minister.”

For a moment, it was silent in the meeting room on the second floor of the Ministry’s Headquarter. Even the – meanwhile paid and provided with some time off – house elf (Hermione was pretty sure his name was Biddy) suspended his task of refilling the water goblets of the attendees. Then the whispers and the giggles began. From the corner of her eyes, Hermione saw several older wizards wrinkle their noses in disgust, shaking their heads about the young witch.

Kingsley Shackebolt raised his hand and the mumbling died away almost immediately. With a slight frown, he looked down at Hermione’s face. “I am sure there is a reason why you ask that of me, Miss Granger?”

“Yes, Minister!” And Hermione plunged into presenting her research. How witches bleeded roundabout 480 times throughout their lives, resulting in costs of up to 440 galeons which might not sound like a lot given the fact that the period of time stretched over roughly 40 years, but as some employees did not work in well-paid jobs, even in the ministry there were cases of menstrual poverty. “And we cannot punish women for something they can’t controll, can we?” Hermione finished, a bit out of breath, but pleased with herself. She did deliver her speech well, she was sure of it - and if the distribution of period products was a success in the ministry, Hermione would campaign for free period products in witches’ toilets all over Great Britain.

She tried to ignore the grumbles around her – still mostly by wizards and thus not interesting – and so she almost missed the voice from next to the door that said, quiet but clear: “Wixen who menstruate.”

Hermione spun around. There stood Blaise Zabini, his pristine robes adorned with the badge of the Portkey Office. His eyebrow raised lightly, he looked directly at Hermione.

“I don’t think we should just equip the witches’ cubicles,” Zabini said, not taking his eyes from Hermione. “That would be discriminating…”

“How dare you erasing the lived experience of witches for such a petty joke?” Hermione spat at him. True, she had anticipated some comments, some nasty remarks – but mostly by elderly wizards and warlocks who acted like other people’s or creatures’ rights took away some of their own (oh, she had been ready to tell them that rights were not treacle tarts!). She had not expected this rubbish to come from someone that young, from someone she knew! Yes, Blaise had been in Slytherin and they were not exactly friends, but there was an understanding between the young employees of the Ministry that whenever one of them had something to say at this kind of meetings, they would support one another. Merlin, Hermione herself had campaigned for some regulation of brooms last quarter she couldn’t even remember that was initiated by Michael Corner.

Blaise Zabini opened his mouth, but closed it again, as she went on. “Just because menstruation is a joke for you, it is not for half the wizarding world’s population!”

Finally, with his lips, pressed tightly together, Blaise Zabini turned around and left without another word. But the damage was done. Hermione’s porposal was dismissed by most of the attending wizards and sadly even many of the witches. Hermione was fuming with rage when she finally left the meeting defeated. Blaise would pay for destroying what should have been the first step in her menstrual health campain.

Hermione stormed into the next lift, going down to level six where the Department for Magical Transportation was located. She wasn’t often down here, her own cubicle being on level four, and it did not improve her mood that she got lost twice before finally reaching the Portkey Office. She knocked, but didn’t wait for an answer before marching inside.

Blaise Zabini jumped with her sudden appearance. His face was less composed than usual, his high cheekbone glistening. It seemed like he had been pacing the narrow room of his shared office.

“Why did you do that?” Hermione asked shrilly. “What became of our pledge of solidarity between young ministry employees?” Oh, she wanted to hit him, like she had hit Draco Malfoy all these years ago: straight in his handsome face.

It made her even more angry to see an arrogant smile blossoming on Blaise’s lips. “Solidarity,” he said bitterly. “You speak of solidarity after throwing everyone under the bus that does not fit your tidy molds.”

Hermione was halfway in to a new stream of enraged arguments about witches rights (not nearly where one would think they were!), menstruation (only a taboo because of bigoted wizards!) and, yes solidarity (not an alien concept to _her_!), when Blaise said, calmer now: “Witches are not the only ones who menstruate. For fuck’s sake, Granger, I menstruate. I menstruate _right now_ , so don’t you dare telling me how it is a taboo for _you_.”

Hermione stopped dead. This was not the answer she had expected. She blinked rapidly, trying to find her composure again but she was lost. Blaise… menstruated?

Blaise rolled his almond-shaped eyes that had always been a topic of intense discussion in Hermione’s dorm at Hogwarts. “Yes, Granger. I’m trans masculine, I menstruate and I would have loved free period products in my own toilets but you fucked that up and now I’d like you to fucking leave before my colleagues come back from the meeting because I have cramps and I really can’t deal with more shark week jokes right now.” And with that, he shoved her out of the door, slamming it shut behind her.

***

Hermione’s heart pounded in her chest as she stood in front of Blaise’s office door. It was early in the morning – Ron had just grunted and rolled over sleepily when she had gotten up – and the ministry was still pretty empty. Maybe Blaise wouldn’t even be in his office and she could just go to work as if nothing had happened.

Of course, that wouldn’t be true, whether or not Blaise came to work early. Hermione had spent most of her weekend brooding over Blaise’s words. It was not as if the existence of trans people was new to her. Obviously, she had read books about it! But it had never occurred to her that she herself knew trans people. Or that her pursuit for witches’ rights could be harmful to others. She, Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, had overlooked something – again. Just like her 15-year-old-self, campaigning for house elves’ rights without ever talking to actual elves. It was shame that made her stomach feel like a clenched fist. Part of her wanted to go back home, hide under the blanket and never enter the ministry ever again. Ron would probably hand her tea and a new book every now and then, wouldn’t he? But obviously, that was not an option. Hermione herself had given talks about How to Apologise Properly to Ron and Harry and… probably to a lot of other people, multiple times. Hiding would not make anything better. She had to face the damage she had done. Right now.

So she tried to ignore the lump in her throat and knocked, cautiously, on the door of the Portkey Office. Listening intently, she waited for a couple of seconds. Nothing. With a sigh of relief, Hermione turned around, ready to leave – when suddenly, Blaise Zabini stood in front of her. Tall, slender, handsome and evidently not happy to see her.

“Granger,” he said, his brows furrowed.

“Blaise, I’m sorry,” she sputtered, now staring at a point somewhere over his shoulder. “I am so sorry about Friday. I thought I had learned to include other people’s perspectives, but it appears that I still have a lot to learn. I mean, I … I am sorry..” Realising she had lost the thread of her speech, Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Anyway, I am on my way to the ministerial library to find books to educate myself further on that topic so that my next attempt to further the cause of menstrual rights will not exclude others.”

After a few moments of tense silence, Hermione finally looked back at Blaise’s face, unsure of what would await her. To her relief, there was a narrow smile.

“Thanks, Granger,” Blaise said.

“Why certainly!” A wave of relief washed over Hermione. “I’m glad you…”

“Not for the apology,” Blaise said dryly. “You won’t get cookies for that. You fucked up and said sorry, that’s the minimum.” His face got softer then. “But thanks that you’re willing to further inform you and doing your work yourself.“

Hermione smiled tentatively, unsure what to say next.

“Actually, I could recommend you a couple of books, if you’d want me to,” Blaise added. “Just so you know where to look. There’s a new one about menstruating while being trans that might be useful for your campaign.”

And with that, he walked past her into his office, leaving the door open for her.

**Author's Note:**

> This was obviously inspired by JKR's transmisia. Not all women menstruate. Not all people who menstruate are women. End of story.
> 
> To those belonging to my beloved fanatical fam: I know that Blaise is our genderfluid icon. But I honestly didn't want Hermione to additionally fuck up Blaise's pronouns.
> 
> To those not belonging to my beloved fanatical fam: Go, listen to the amazing podcast "Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them"!
> 
> As always: If there are any mistakes in this fic, I'm happy and thankful if you let me know in the comments.


End file.
